Little Boxes
by yoshispeach
Summary: Rory is sharing with her daughter the importance of having "boxes." That the heartbreak can be overwhelming at the moment, but to be able to look back and know that you had some great times is always amazing.
1. Little Boxes

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**A/N: Never written a fic before so be gentle. Please review. I know where I want this to go, but if you want to see something let me know and I'll see what can get done. This won't be a long fic maybe 6 chapters. I'm not 100% sure yet. Also, I hate seeing fics not finished so this will definitely get finished. Thanks and I hope you guys like this.**

CHAPTER 1

Rory comes home to find the house dark and the end of "Nobody Knows" by Pink coming from her daughter's room. She gives it a minute for the next song to play hoping for the best, but then she hears it. Janis Joplin. "Piece of my Heart." Rory knew it was the nail in the coffin.

Her daughter had flings and she had heard this mix before, but the difference now was that this was her daughter's first real boyfriend and apparently break up. Rory remembered when her and Dean first broke up she was so heartbroken, but once she got over the initial shock she wanted everything gone. She knew she needed to get to Sam before she started to through away stuff.

"Hey Sam?" Rory called knocking on her daughter's door. That's when the music turned up.

Rory understood needing and wanting to be left alone after a break up. She just knew she needed to talk to Sam before her father got home.

"Sam Lorelai . . ."

"What?!" Sam yelled throwing her door open and cutting her mom off.

Sam didn't mean to yell at her mom, but her mother always left her alone after a break up. Given that her and her mom always talked about everything she thought it was odd that her mom let her be after the first break up, but she appreciated the space.

"Mom, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell. I've just had a long day and I don't want to deal,'' Sam explained to her mom.

"Thanks for the apology, kid, means a lot. I know I generally leave you be, but I got to tell you I think this break up is different," Rory said to her daughter.

"How do you know Matt and I broke up?" Sam looked at her mother.

"Janis Joplin. You got to do better than that kid,"

"Oh, that's right, I just don't want to talk about it right now. Wait!? What makes you think this is different?"

"Go, sit, I'll be right out. I have to get something," Rory went to her room and grabbed four boxes.

Three hadn't been added to for years and the fourth constantly getting new additions of memories. With four boxes in hand she made her way down to the couch to her daughter. She wanted to make sure that her daughter got the opportunity her mom gave her. The only difference was she wasn't going to hide it from Sam like her mom hid it from her.

"Here," Rory handed Sam one of the boxes and started to explain. "Many, many years ago I had my first boyfriend. Obviously, that was followed by my first break up. I wanted everything he gave me or touched thrown out. I put everything in a box and gave it to your grandmother to throw out. Your grandmother being who she is kept the box. I found it once and she told me I will probably want to remember the good times sometime in the future and I am glad she held on to it for me." Rory paused trying to give Sam a chance to process.

"I'm figuring that this story has a point and that this is one of the boxes. Who's Tristan?" Sam asked.

"Well the point is that I think this is different because this relationship seemed to be more than a fling. I think you really cared for him. That being said Dean was my first boyfriend unlike you I didn't have flings. We were head over heels for each other. I don't want you to give me a box to throw away and then stumble upon it. I want you to give me the box knowing that I'll hold on to it if you ever want it, but I promise you'll never find it if that's what you want," Rory stated.

"Ok. Maybe. So, what are these boxes for? And who is Tristan? I ask once again," Sam pointed at the other three boxes and shaking the one in her hand.

Rory sighed and took the lid off her Tristan box. "Just so you know Tristan and I never dated, but kissed once. Our banter was actually our way of flirting. I didn't realize it til he was gone that I did actually like him. Given this I made him a box."

"So, what's in the box mom?" Sam asked.

**To Be Continued . . .**


	2. Chapter 2 TRISTAN

**A/N: **Ok. So don't hate me took it me a while to get to a computer to write this. I've had this planned out for a while just need better access to a computer. Totally loving the attention this is getting. Didn't think anyone would want to read. Sadly, for erdi99 this is not a trory. Another, unfortunate is that I do not own anything.**  
**

**_PREVIOUSLY_**

_"I'm figuring that this story has a point and that this is one of the boxes. Who's Tristan?" Sam asked._

_"Well the point is that I think this is different because this relationship seemed to be more than a fling. I think you really cared for him. That being said Dean was my first boyfriend unlike you I didn't have flings. We were head over heels for each other. I don't want you to give me a box to throw away and then stumble upon it. I want you to give me the box knowing that I'll hold on to it if you ever want it, but I promise you'll never find it if that's what you want," Rory stated._

_"Ok. Maybe. So, what are these boxes for? And who is Tristan? I ask once again," Sam pointed at the other three boxes and shaking the one in her hand._

_Rory sighed and took the lid off her Tristan box. "Just so you know Tristan and I never dated, but kissed once. Our banter was actually our way of flirting. I didn't realize it til he was gone that I did actually like him. Given this I made him a box."_

_"So, what's in the box mom?" Sam asked._

**Chapter 2 - Tristan's Box  
**

"Well, let's open the box and see," Rory told Sam.

This box wasn't to big and didn't have much in it, but Rory still held these memories dear to her. The first thing she pulled out was a mini Virgin Mary statute. Sam saw what was in her mom's hand and could help, but laugh.

"What the heck is that mom? Was Tristan some crazed religious nut or something?"

Sam couldn't stop laughing and Rory couldn't blame her. She started laughing with her daughter. It was a funny scene especially for someone who had no idea what it meant.

"Tristan wasn't a religious nut first off. And second off he didn't give me this figure." Rory explained.

"Alright, so it's nice to know that you didn't crush on a Catholic school boy, but what's with the figure. Why is it in the box if he didn't give it to you?"

"Well after he got sent to military school I was,"

"Wait, military school? Why was he going to military school?" Sam interrupted.

"It's besides the point. The point is before I could realize my feelings he was gone," Rory explained.

"One day after he left I was in Hartford killing some time and I saw this little statue. In that moment I had to buy it. When we first met the teacher introduced me to the class by my name. Tristan was the only one to go against it. He said 'Hello Mary.' I didn't get it. When my mom picked me up I told her what he called. She explained that he was referring to Virgin Mary. I hated the nickname and couldn't understand why he just couldn't call me by my name."

"MOM! I can't believe you were a Mary! I hope NO one knows this and you kept this a secret!" Sam told her mom.

"I wish no one knew either, but Paris went to school with me and Lane was my best friend. Plus I told your dad everything and shared these boxes with him before we got married."

Sam gave her a look like she couldn't even believe what she was told. It was just shocking to see something like this from her mothers past. She loved her mom to death. She could tell that her mom was going to go at her pace so she reached into the box and grabbed one P J Harvey ticket. She held them up towards her mom.

"Haha. . ." Rory laughed "That was an amazing day. This just proves that saving stuff and looking back on it can be a good thing."

"So, did you enjoy the concert? I can't believe you got to see her!" Sam gushed.

"Oh no I didn't go to the show," Rory told her daughter.

Sam looked at her like she was crazy. She couldn't understand why her mom would think it was an amazing day if she hadn't gone to the concert. Just as she began to wonder her mom's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"I know how was it such a great day if I hadn't gone to the show. First, there were two tickets I put one in this box. At the time I had just broken up with Dean and while being broken up Tristan kept trying to get me to go out with him. One day he came to school with these tickets to go with him I told him no. After school he took my books and was basically being a jerk. I told him to keep the books because I didn't care and just wanted to get away from him, but when I looked up I saw Dean. He was standing there with this hurt look on his face. Before he got away I yelled at him to stop, he asked why, and I told him 'Because I love you, you Idiot!' If it hadn't been for these tickets I might not have told Dean that I loved him," Rory looked at her daughter and just saw the intrigue in her eyes. She loved that she could always share everything with Sam just like she did with her mother.

"Mom you're life was crazy!" "Was crazy? Sam have you not met my daughter? She keeps my life going crazy. That's why I'm sitting here sharing all this with her." Rory told her daughter with endearment.

Sam reached into the box for the last item in there. In her hand was a playbill from Chilton for Romeo & Juliet. She asked her mom, "What's this?"

"Well, in high school we had to act out different scenes from Romeo & Juliet and Tristan was in my group. The night of the performance Tristan showed up right before we were supposed to go on. He pulled me to the side to tell me he was being sent to military school. He did something dumb with some friends and I just couldn't believe that he was leaving. He told me that if my boyfriend wasn't there he'd kiss me. Some times I wonder what would have happened had I kissed him that night."

"Really? I don't even know you!" Sam laughed.

"Yeah. That's not even the worst of it." Rory sounding a little remorseful. "Do you want to see the next box? Go ahead pick the next one. Just not your dad's box. Let's see if we can time it just right for when he gets home," she asked her daughter.

"Ok. Here this one," Sam handed her the one with the name . . .

**OK I am so sorry for the long wait! We only have one computer in our house and my husband is a PC gamer. Plus, when I started writing this it was about a month before our wedding. I got so busy with everything and work has been really crazy. I love that a lot of people want to see this finished. Had to leave it on a cliff hanger. Any guesses as to who's box is next? How about who Sam's father is? What do you guys want to see? Hope to get the next chapter up in a timely manner. Read. Review. Follow. **


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